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68 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MARCH 2018
chain profile
HEAD 1
Head 2
With an open kitchen and more
sophisticated look, this fast-casual
concept's design matches its food.
I
f CEO James Park had his way, Garbanzo Mediterranean
Fresh would probably have a different name.
The word garbanzo is lighthearted, maybe even a
bit silly. Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, though, serves
serious food: hummus, falafel and pita; grilled steak and
chicken; rice, tabbouleh and baba ganoush.
"I always say that if I were a betting man, [I'd bet] this
was the food that was served to ancient Roman and Middle
Eastern soldiers. It's ancient food, Biblical food, if you will,
that a lot of people are just now discovering," Park says.
What's more, he adds, it's generally healthy food that accom-
modates several different diets, including low-carb, paleo,
vegetarian and vegan.
The chain fully embraces the seriousness, and the
simplicity, of this food. Each restaurant, for example, makes
all its sauces from scratch and bakes its pitas fresh in-house
using only five ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast and sugar.
Garbanzo's uses antibiotic-free beef and chicken, marinat-
ing the proteins in the restaurant for 24 hours. Finally, staff
hand-cut all meats and vegetables in-house.
The healthful nature of Garbanzo's food combined with
the care the chain puts into making it, says Park, inspire its two
mantras: Love in Every Pita, and Feel Brighter on the Inside.
There's a catch, though. Historically, none of this has
been communicated by the brand. There's the lightheart-
edness of the Garbanzo name of course, but also the res-
taurant's design, which, Park says, has traditionally been
"tongue-in-cheek" and "plastic-ey." Nothing about the look
and feel communicated the quality of the food or the effort
that went into producing it.
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh
Takes Itself Seriously
By Toby Weber
Photos by Angie Knost Photography